Romania says drone likely fell on its territory during Russian attack on Ukraine
Editor's note: This item has been updated with Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu's statement.
A drone likely fell on Romanian territory during Russia's overnight attack on port infrastructure in Ukraine's Odesa Oblast on Nov. 11, Romania's Defense Ministry said.
The incident marks another violation of NATO airspace during Russia's strikes on Ukrainian port infrastructure along the Danube River. The Izmail district, one of the main targets of the attack, lies directly across the river from Romania.
According to the ministry, radar systems detected groups of drones near Romania's airspace, prompting air defense units to go on alert. Poor weather conditions, including strong winds and low clouds, prevented military aircraft from taking off.
Around midnight, residents of the Romanian city of Tulcea were warned via the RO-Alert system about possible drone activity. On the Ukrainian side, near the port of Izmail, a series of explosions was heard as Russian forces targeted port facilities.
Romanian troops received a report of a drone crash near the village of Grindu, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Military units were dispatched to secure the area and locate debris.
Authorities said the incident posed no threat to residents, though an investigation is ongoing.
"These actions are part of a series of similar incidents and represent a characteristic of the war of aggression waged by Russia. This is also reflected in Russia's systematic provocations against the EU and NATO," Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu wrote on X.
"We will not hesitate to increase the price that Russia pays for such reckless and illegal actions."
Romania shares a 600-kilometer (370-mile) border with Ukraine, stretching along the Danube River and the Black Sea coast.
Two months earlier, a Russian drone also entered Romania's airspace during another strike on Ukraine, penetrating about 10 kilometers (6 miles) and remaining for around 50 minutes.
Romanian forces did not engage the drone, which eventually returned toward Ukraine.
